Amazon.com: Customer reviews: When We Were Worthy

Top positive review

SECRETS, LIES, & LOSS

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 10, 2017

A win brought them together, but loss may tear them apart.

When the sound of sirens cuts through a cool fall night, the small town of Worthy, Georgia, hurtles from triumph to tragedy. Just hours before, they’d watched the Wildcats score a winning touchdown. Now, they’re faced with the deaths of three cheerleaders—their promising lives cut short in a fatal crash. And the boy in the other car—the only one to survive—is believed to be at fault. As rumors begin to fly and accusations spin, allegiances form and long-kept secrets emerge.

At the center of the whirlwind are four women, each grappling with loss, regret, shame, and lies: Marglyn, a grieving mother; Darcy, whose son had been behind the wheel; Ava, a substitute teacher with a scandalous secret; and Leah, a cheerleader who should have been in the car with her friends, but wasn’t. If the truth comes out, will it bring redemption—or will it be their downfall?

My Thoughts: In alternating perspectives, the characters in When We Were Worthy reveal their own truths in bits and pieces, including their secrets and fears.

Marglyn is the grieving mother of Mary Claire, and her biggest regret is that she let her daughter leave that night with harsh words between them. Afterwards, she has dreams and visions in which she and her daughter try to communicate.

Ava, the wife and substitute teacher of one of the girls, feels neglected and alone in this small town where she does not belong. That’s how she feels, anyway. And when something scandalous is brought to light, I empathized with how alone she felt when her husband, in-laws, and townspeople did not believe her; did not give her the benefit of the doubt.

Darcy, as the mother of the boy who probably caused the accident, is also lost and alone. Who does she turn to? Someone who has also gone through something…but could she be making a dreadful mistake?

The only cheerleader who did not go that night, and who is therefore alive, is Leah. Her secret about why she didn’t go was held close to her heart. But she struggled with what she needed to reveal; something that could help Ava.

How would the secrets and lies emerge? Who would be left standing, and who might sink further into the depths of despair? While I figured out a part of Leah’s dark secret, and the one that would make all the difference to Ava, I kept expecting something more shocking. So, in fact, the secret was a bit underwhelming. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the story. 4.5 stars.

2 people found this helpful

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emsolrich

Some Glaring Problems

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 26, 2021

I had recently finished "This Secret Thing" by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and was eager to check out her other books, so I was glad to see that she has written at least 3 others. I was a bit curious when I saw that this Kindle book was so inexpensive, but I bought this one anyway. For the first 90% of the book I was pretty pleased with the story, but the last 10% leaves much to be desired. Overall the story of Worthy and its inhabitants is engaging, even if there are a few small details that were overlooked, and the characters weren't very developed. Where I take exception with the story is in regards to Leah...

SPOILERS

Leah was raped. PERIOD. Consent is given enthusiastically, and continuously. In no way is it ok for the boys to have gotten off with an apology. The fact that they are "another town's problem now " is simply not acceptable. If the last several years have taught us anything it is that people like these boys will go on to repeat their offenses, and that the pervasive "boys will be boys" attitude that has ruled our world is no longer an excuse for rape. Shame on the character of Nancy for enabling the boys' parents in their quest to "make it all go away," and shame on Marybeth Mayhew Whalen for enabling rape culture, even if it's just in a book.

3 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Eileen Patterson

Great Book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 2, 2021

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I started reading this and intended to just read a few chapters then go to sleep, but then I couldn't put the book down so I kept reading until the end. It's a sad book, full of twists and turns and imperfect people doing the wrong thing and making life harder for themselves. It's definitely worth reading though, and as a lover of Emily Dickinson, I appreciated all the literary references too.

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Barb Hegreberg

Fun Read with Plenty of Drama

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 4, 2021

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Whalen seamlessly weaves together the pain, sorrow & drama of the town of Worthy. The story could take place in any small town where football is king & the players are untouchable.

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ARE YOU SERIOUS, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen?????

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 6, 2017

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I understood when I purchased this book that I was choosing a book that would not be literary and was clearly "Woman's Fiction". So, my expectations were not high. Sometimes I find myself straying from my TBR list when something listed as a "best of" catches my eye. This book has an interesting hook. It is no spoiler to reveal that it is about a carload of cheerleaders who are killed in a car accident when hit by a male student from their high school. There were many ways this story could have gone had it been written with a modicum of nuance. It was not. There was not one character that even came close to being developed. No history was given to this array of stereotypes. The book is written like a newspaper article written by a folksy house wife. I have not suffered through anything as abysmal in years. It is just a boring and silly attempt at a book.

If you find yourself compelled to buy this piece of flotsam anyway....please keep in mind that it is actually a "Young Adult" selection. The arc of the story is enough to make any adult sick to their stomachs. There are several different women who are going through life events that this author obviously finds compelling. She attempts to resolve each woman's issue and fails miserably with each of them. I was so bored that I actually considered not finishing it which is something I have not done since being as silly, and insipid as one of Ms. Whalen's empty headed high school characters. Just terrible. Please take my advise and do not waste your money on this boring drivel.

151 people found this helpful

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Daniel Björkman

Starts out almost too literary, ends up definitely not literary enough

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 15, 2017

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It's a decent book, fast-paced, easily read and with distinct characters whose problems you empathise with. The first three quarters or so are quite good, if perhaps a bit too dead set on finding angst and imperfection in absolutely everything for maximum literary cred. But hey, angst and imperfections are genuinely interesting.

No, the real problem is with the way the book makes a one-eighty in the last quarter, with all the sympathetic characters becoming completely good and having no end of wholesome revelations, all the unsympathetic characters becoming completely evil, and the narrator turning from expressing the perspective of four different fallible protagonists and starting to tell the readers quite forcefully what they're supposed to think. This isn't great writing even in itself, and the shift from the Real True Literature style of the rest of the book is jarring to say the least.

All in all, it's worth reading if you enjoy stories in the lifetime-movie, all-men-are-evil-except-for-Mr-Right style, but be aware that that's what you're setting yourself up for - even though the first chapters will give you a different impression.

5 people found this helpful

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Donna Brown

Small Town Tragedy

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 23, 2019

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I was born and raised in a small town. A place where everyone knows everyone. A place where everyone wants to be in on everyone’s business. Such a town is Worthy. A southern town where football is king. This book told through different points of view is about a tragedy that happens and the repercussions it leaves in its wake. It is easy to read and small so you just want to push on. Maybe we as readers are just like folks in a small town wanting to know it all. Captivated to the very end. 4.5 stars

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Polly

Good mystery

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 26, 2022

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This was a good book with a surprising ending. Very complicated character relationships in a small town . I really enjoyed it.

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The Copper Bookroom

Just what I needed

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 29, 2020

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It’s difficult right now to tear your mind away from the coronavirus pandemic, but this book, downloaded to my Kindle, gave me 4-5 hours of welcome escape. Told by four female narrators, the story skillfully blends elements of similar to those in the book/series Big Little Lies and the 2018 Brett Kavanaugh hearings. It would make an excellent television series.

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Mari V.

Once I started I couldn't put it down.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 8, 2019

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This book was not what I expected. Also, I must say when I started reading it and found out what it was about I was a bit put off because my two daughters are cheerleaders. However, once I started I admit, I couldn't stop. I read it in one sitting. It kept me hooked and all in all it has a "happy ending", considering the events.
Really enjoyed how the story was told from different angles and how even when the subjects and feelings are very complex and complicated, the book is an easy read.

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marf

Truth comes out in the end

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 26, 2020

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A tragic accident effects the small town of Worthy. Each family has their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas about the accident. Each family is treated differently by the town. Who is right? Who is treated fairly? Who is being judged right or wrong? Read to find out.

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Wendie M M

Hits close to home in GA

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

Living in a small town in GA, where football is a religion, the QB is king, and the cheerleaders are all queens...this book touched on so many topics that were relevant for me. How we revolve around each other, everyone knows everyone's business, the relationships formed in high school that are still running the show 20+ years later... Really really well done. I loved the vignette style, changing from one character to another. I'll admit I breathed a sigh of relief at the end. Perfectly imperfect.

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